Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

685. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the extension of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 which is due to expire in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41485/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 is a cross cutting area of public policy and service delivery. It is based on a co-ordinated approach across many Government Departments and Agencies in conjunction with the Community and Voluntary sectors and I intend that this approach will continue.

The overall objective of the Strategy is to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs through a concerted focus on the five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research.

Periodic reviews of progress across the pillars of the Strategy are carried out through the Oversight Forum on Drugs which I chair. A progress report is prepared each year and the latest report for 2013 is available on my Department’s website.

My Department is starting work on developing the Strategy so that it can meet the challenges into the future.